Picture this...

New book captures beauty of the place we live — and more

photo by Connor McCracken

Vancouver creative Connor McCracken has worked in video production, photography, and marketing for years, but it was the drive home from a day of skiing in Whistler that changed his perspective forever.

"Looking out over Howe Sound, it hit me that for a place I had passed by so many times, I didn’t actually know much about it."

McCracken vowed to change that, and in the years since he has put in the sweat equity required to learn more. He has paddled the Sea to Sky Marine Trail, hiked the Howe Sound Crest Trail, and cycled the Sea To Sky highway in his effort to learn more about Howe Sound.

"Every trip gave me a new perspective on how connected everything is, from the forests and streams right down to the marine life," he says. And out of that knowledge, a book was born.

Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound: From Sea To Sky is about connection he says. "Every image, map, and story is meant to bring people closer to this coast and to the communities protecting it."

As he journeyed through Howe Sound by kayak, bike and on foot he had an epiphany. "Along the way, I realized this wasn’t just a beautiful place, but a comeback story. I wanted to create something that could capture both the adventure and the deeper story behind it."

McCracken's commitment extends beyond capturing the beauty of the Sound. He has committed to donating 15 percent of all revenue from the book to the Support Howe Sound Fund, which will split the donations amongst three organizations working in the region: the Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region Initiative Society, BC Marine Trails, and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.

"Every copy directly funds that work," says McCracken. "It is not just about admiring the place, it is about helping protect it, too."

This is the first project of this magnitude that McCracken has undertaken, bringing together photography, design, storytelling, and conservation in one package. "This felt like a chance to combine everything I love," he says. "It has been a huge learning curve, but also one of the most rewarding creative things I’ve ever done."

The book is entirely self-funded and self-published, with McCracken taking on the writing, photography and design, and printing the book locally in Vancouver.

Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound: From Sea To Sky is available online for pre-order right now, and he will be launching it at the Patagonia store in Kitsilano from 7 to 9 p.m. this evening, October 2.

McCracken hopes the book leaves its readers with a mix of wonder and awareness. "Howe Sound has gone from being written off as dead to becoming one of Canada’s greatest environmental recovery stories," he says. "I want people to see that change is possible when communities care, and that by exploring, learning, and supporting local efforts, they can be part of that story too."

The Watershed will select one lucky commenter to win a signed copy of Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound: From Sea To Sky. To be considered, leave a comment below, or email us at editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca

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